Apparatus for the combined solvent and destructive distillation treatment of shale



Mar. 6, 1923. I 4 1,447,296

D. T. DAY T APPARATUS FOR THE COMBINED SOLVENT ANDIDESTRUOTIVEIDISTILLATION TREATMENT OF SHALE Filed Dec. 7," 1920 2 sheets-sheet 1WPPIBZ Mar. 6, 1923. f 1,447,296

' D. T. DAY

APPARATUS FOR THE COMBINED SOLVENT AND D'ESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATIONTREATMENT OF SHALE Filed Dec 7, 1920 q 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6,1923. v

UNITED STA DAVID '1'. DAY, or: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or qoLmuBr'ArrAnA'rUs FOR THE COMBINED SOLVENT AND DESTBUCTIVE DIs'rmLAT IoN'rREA'r- MEN'T or SHALE:

Application filed December 7, 1920. Serial No. 428,913.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I,"DAVID T. DAY, a citizenof the United States, residing at Washingt-on, in the District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor the Combined Solvent and Destructive Distillation Treatment ofShale, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an apparatus for effecting the extraction ofoil from oil bearf ing shale and provides for extraction with a liquidbath of solvent combined with destructive distillation.- a

The invention provides specifically the apparatus in which a bath orpool of liquidsolvent is provided and into which fresh. shale is passed,the partial extraction of he oil in the shale by the solvent, the remoal of the shale from the bath of oil, and the subsequent distillation ofthe shale so removed to eflect cracking of the oil therein and theproduction of oil for the maintenance of the oil bath.

The apparatus has made it possible to obtain a larger total yield of oilthan .is ordinarily possible ,by either theusualsolvent extraction or bydestructive distilla'- tion. Solvent extraction may remove three timesas much oil from shale as is possible by destructive distillation. Thepresent invention combines the solvent features with distillation in away that uses the products formed during distillationrto serve as material for the solvent bath. Claims directed tothe particular processdescribed in this specification are 'presented in my copendingdivisional application Se{ rial No. 585,174, filed August30, 1922. c 4

The advantageous results made possible by the invention are due, also inpart to the heat exchange wherein-the heatof condensation of the vaporswithin the solvent extrac tion chamber heats the shale as it movesthrough the chamber and thus enables the shale to go into the retort ata temperatureequal to-the boiling .point of the solvent.

Another feature provided by the use of very hot oil on the shale is theadvantage derived by the increased ease and rapidity with which the oilsoaked shale,

is treated in a retort 'to destructivedistillation. The process has beenfound to operate much more readily than was the casewhere relatively drvshale was subjected to distillation and this probably diie to thefactvantages of .that dry shale is an' extremely dpoor conductor of heatand consequently stillation of shale must be not only slow but wastefulbecause of the time and fuel used for completing the distillation.Contrasted to thetreatment of dry shale, the present process, bytreating oil soaked shale, and particularly shale soaked with hot oil,shortens the required period of heating because of the initial rise intemperature due to the presence of hot oil extending into the center ofeach particle of shale and thefact that oil liquid oil, and thenecssarycommunicating pipes providing for the passage of the products oidistillation from the retort to a point .-where these products may. be.conveniently Condensed to: a sufficient' degree .to provide thematerialsused as the'liquid bath in the treatment chamber. Detailsproviding for soaked shale is a better conductor of heat I v theeflicient and continuous operation of the V apparatus and processinclude the use of'av screw, chain type, or any other suitable type ofconveyor retort'po's'itiond substantially horizontally in a furnace, aninclined tubular treatment chamber above the retort tube and outside thefurnace, and. the -relative position'of the openings for. the'introduction and removal of shale, the. relative position of the pipesforsthe removal ofliquid oil and aeriformmaterial 'fromithe treatmentchamber, the relative length ofvithe pipes connected to thetreatmentchamber, andithemountingof a conveyor;-' within thetreatmentchamber for the removal of shale.

The above and additionalldetailsand addescribedand claimed in thefollowing spe'cificationand claims, andillus'trated in the accompanying'drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a side elevation,vpartly broken away,of apparatus including a retort and treatment chamber involving thefeatures of the invention; c Figure 2 isan enlarged view, partly brokethe apparatus antj .process are 1 away and inpartial section,illustrating the relation begtween-th'e retort having the screwconveyors, and t e inclined treatment cham" ber positioned a ove theretort; and j apparatus which has been successfully used in conductingthe process of the invention,

lrepresents the masonry construction of the furnace, either concrete,stone or brick, but preferably fire-brick, such as Wlll stand severetemperatures. A suitable stack 2 is provided for leading off the furnacefumes, smoke, and gases of combustion; A source of heat is provided byburners 3 located at the lower part of the furnace and fed by I suitablepipes 3 providing liquid or gaseous fuel obtained during the operationof the.

process and apparatus, as will be hereinafter further explained. Thefurnace may be braced 'by suitable buck stays, not shown, which enclosethe outer walls of the furnace and hold the same to a suitable masonryor concrete base. The flame and hot gases from the burner nozzles isprojected inwardly and passed upwardly in the furnace over ahorizontally extending partition 4 and upward to ultimately escapethrough the stack 2. During the' upward movement the heat comes intodirect contactwith the exterior of a plurality of longitudinallypositioned retort tubes, as will be described. The drawing illustratesthree crackin tubes or-retort tubes 5, 6 and 7, positione one above theother and substantially horizontally. Within the tubes 5, 6 and 7 arerespective screw conveyors 5, 6 and 7 mounted on and adapted to turnwith shafts 5 6* and 7", respectively. Suitable j ournal boxes orstufiing boxes are indicated for the respective shafts at 5, 6 and 7.Materials within the tube 5 are passed to the left, referring to Figure2, and are dropped through the communicating pipe 8 into the end of thetube 6, and similarly these materials are passed in the oppositedirection in the-tube 6 and are permitted to drop through the com-.municating pipe 9 to the lowermost tube 7,

in which latter the materials are again moved to the left and arefinally dropped into the discharge pipe 10 for spent shale. Dischargepipe 10- has a rotary valve 10 adapted to periodically move to dischargeshale in measured quantities, but not to permitthe passage of air orgases into or out of the retort. The valve 10 is mounted on a shaft 10and operated by the same power means as the shafts of the retortconveyors, as will be described. The direction of travel of the contentsof the apparatus is indicated by arrows.

Immediately above the retort and furnace is mounteda treatment chamber11 adapted to contain a pool or bath of liquid oil. This paratus.

mamas chamber is illustrated as an inclined tubular longitudinallyextending member having its lower end adjacent the outlet end of theretort and its upper end positioned above the inlet end of the upperretort tube 5. A pipe 12 is indicated on the up er'side of and leadingfrom an opening in t e chamber 11 adjacent the lower-end thereof andcommunicates wit-h a reservoir 13 above the same,

i which reservoir is provided with a suitable funnel shaped opening 14.At the opposite and upper end of the chamber 11 and onthe underneathside thereof is adischarge opening having a pipe 15 leading therefromand extending downwardly as a supply pipe for the receiving endof theretort tube 5.

screw conveyor 11 is mounted within the chamber 11 and positionedsubstantially on the bottom thereof so as to move. shale and solidmaterial along the inclined floor of the chamber from "the lower endthereof and dump such material into the pipe '15. The screw conveyor 11is mounted on shaft 11 which in turn isprovided with the necessarystufiing boxes or journal boxes 11 at the ends of the chamber 11. Theinvention provides that the conveyor 11 should move in such a manner asto carry relatively small amounts comparatively slowly from thelower endof the chamber-11 to the discharge opening at the pipe 15'. Theinvention also provides that the lower end of the chamber 11 constantlycontain a bath or pool of liquid oil which normally covers the lower endof the pipe 12 and rises within that pipe and into the hopper 13whenever the pressure may so require this movement. Likewise it isnecessary that the upper end of-the pipe 15. namely the discharge end ofthe chamber, be above the fluid level within the chamber so that thescrew conveyor 11 may move shale material out of the liquid oilbathbefore-dumping the shale material into the pipe 15. On the upperside of the chamber is a discharge opening having a pipe 16 for theremoval of gases and vapors from a region above the pool of oil. An herdischarge opening having a pipe 17 provided at a lower point on thechamber 11 for the removal of liquid oil provided and formed during theoperation of the process and ap- This pipe 17 is attached to the chamber11 at a point well removed from the lower side of the 'chamber so thatno solid material or shale will be drawn off with the oil, and inthejpfeferrd arrangement this pipe is inclos proximity to the pipe 12near the upper surface but toward the lower end of the chamber 11. Anupwardly extending pipe 17 having its upper end open .materialspreferably extends upward as anthe upper end of'the reservoir 13 so thatthe oil also may rise within this. pipe subject to pressures withinthechamber 11, as will be described. r

The pipe 16 for the removal of aeriform elongated run-back pipe, and isconnected with a stone tower 18, and from this tower gases and lightervapors are removed through the pipe 19 and passed through the coils of acondenser 20 positioned in the condenser. tank 21. Liquid oil formedwithin the stone tower is drawn olf through the pipe 22 and emptied intoa distillate tank 23. Materials condensed in the coils 20 areremovedthrough a pipe 20 and deposited in a gasoline tank 24. Gases.remaining after passage through the condenser are led upward away fromthe pipe 20 and into a gasscrubber 2'5 bv means of a pipe 20*" connectedto the lower end of the scrubber. The'gases issuing from the scrubber atthe topthereof are led through the pipe 3 to the burner nozzle 3} in thefurnace. The

pipe 1'] for the removalof liquid oil from the oil bathin the chamber11, extends the distillate tank 23.

length of theapparatus, 'backof the condense; in- Figure 1, and isconnected to the pipe 22 which conducts liquid oil into the Drivingmeans for-turning the shafts 5 6", 7 b and 11 is provided by the maindrive. shaft 26 mounted'in suitable bearings, not

todrive a chain 5 passing over-a sprocket gear 11 mounted on theconveyor shaft 11". A universal joint in the shaft 11 is indicated at11.to take care of the angle due to the inclination of the tank 11.Atthe lower side of the apparatus the conveyorshaft 7 is provided witha. second sprocket wheel 7 which drives a chain 7 passing over asprocket wheel 10 mounted on the valve shaft 10 thus constitutingoperating means for the valv 10 The arrows in Figure '3 indicate therelative direction of rotation of the conveyor shafts and sprocketwheels. 1

,At theupper end ofthe treatment cham- .ber His a pipe 11 for'theintroduction of materials used for washingout'the treat ment chamber,and at the lowerendis' a corresponding drain pipe 1 1 for removing suchmaterials. 4 I

The process and apparatus has'been sat-'- isfactorily operated withapparatus in which the retort tubes 5 .6 and 7 were approximately of sixinch bore, and in which a conveyor screw of five and three-quarterinches was operated. The invention preferably uses a tubular treatmentchamber 11 which has-a bore of from twenty-four to thirty inches-in'which the conveyor member is approximately eight inches. Theoperation of the process is not necessarily dependent on the relativesize of the chamber and conveyor therein, but under certain conditionsmay be. operated-. satisfactorily with a conveyor substantially fillingthe chamber, or by any kind of conveyor capable of moving shale andsolid material from the pool of oil, out of the same and into thereceiving end of the retort.

In "the normal operation ofthe process,

when first starting the same, liquid oil is poured into the opening 14and sufficient is introduced to cover the lower end of the pipe '12,thus forming a liquid seal for this pipe. Such oil is preferably adistillate obtained from previous distillation, 'or what is known astops or distillate, but any other liquid oil from petroleum issufficiently ef-.

fective as a seal-to serve for the. purpose.

The use of water as a seal for the initial operation has beensatisfactorily applied Crushed shale containing the oil to be extractedin reduced form and containing chiefly lumps capable of passing througha a two inch screen is added by dumping the same in small amounts intothe opening 14. The shale is introduced thus into the oil bath and issubjected thereby to a combined solvent treatment and oil soakingtreatment.

The conveyors are set in motion and the retort heated. It is thepractice to introduce shale into the reservoir 13 as fast as it isremoved by the screw conveyor-11 thus giving a mechanical advantageofpreventing an accumulation'of the shale, which because part of it isfinely divided when stirred up with the oil, becomes a .mud which is'objectionable when passedinto pipes. The column of shale movedalong thefloor of the chamber 11 is relatively small compared" to the capacityof'the chamber, usually not more than 10 per cent as much shale beingpresent as compared to the volume of the oil bath, and frequently theainount of shale is in much lower proportion. This continuous movementof the shale in small quantities is s'uch'that the shale is constantlyin agitation "and being stirred and is in cons't'a nt contact with newportions of a relatively large bath of solvent oil. As the shale ismoved from the chamberv and through the retorts in the'retort furnace itis subjected to'increased tem eratures during its 1 progress through t eapparatus.

This heat tr'eatment in the retorts drives off all oil materialpresent-in the" shale andadhering thereto, and allthat has not been re-'moved by the solvent action of the bath of -oil in the chamber 11. porsgenerated within the retort tubes 5, 6

The gases and vaand 7 are passed upward through the pipe 15 and into thetreatment chamber 11. In this region they come into contact with therelatively cooler walls of the chamber, the bath of oil with the freshshale therein, and a substantial portion of'the material is condensedand flows to the lower end of the chamber to supplement the volume ofliquid oil. The nature and the amount of the materials so condenseddepends on the temperaturein the retort, in part, but chiefly on therelative size and coolness of the walls of the treatment chamber 11 andthe length of the run-back pipe 16.v The chamber 11 may be covered withinsulating material to maintain heat conditions constant, or it may beartificially cooled. Likewise, the length of the pipe 16 may be variedand, it also may be insulated or artificially cooled, such changesdepending on the relative nature of the condensed materials to be usedas the solvent bath.

The blast of flame from' the burners 3*.

provides a temperature in the lower retort hotter than the temperaturein the 'upper retort. The temperature around the retort tubes should befrom 900 F. to 1l00 F.

- depending on the arrangement of flues and the disposition of theretort tubes within the furnace 1. The temperature within the retorttubes should be-at least 550 F., and for the practical rapid operationabout 700 F.

I is desired. However, the temperature within the tube does not have tobe as high as ordinarily used for destructive distillation in smallretorts, because in the present invention the heat is transmitted withcom- .fparative rapidity from the outside to the inside of each pieceofshale, this being due, as hereinbefore explained, to the prellmi-'naryheating by the addition of the hot soltemperature of 300 F., andsometimesabove, and sometimes below, depending on the position of thechamber 11 relative to the outside air, the distance from the fur- Inace, and the constant cooling effected by such conditions.

The process is capable of operation at ordinary atmospheric pressure,under partial vacuum, and also under increased pressure.

the higher temperature at which the solvent remains liquid lnstead ofvaporizing. Pressures may be built up by partially closing the valves inthe pipes 16 and 17, and the operation of an accumulation of pressurecauses the liquid within the-chamber 11 to back up through the pipe 12and into the hopper or reservoir 13 until the hydrostatic pressure ofthis column' of liquid is sufficient to balance the pressure within theapparatus. When the oil is thus backed-up in the pipe 12 andthereservoir 13, it also rises in the air vent pipe 17*, which lattershould be high enough to permit this rise in liquid level.

The liquid oil taken off through the pipe 17 from the liquid extractionbath in 'the lower end of chamber 11- differs frbm the liquid obtainedfrom the vapors which pass off through the pipe 16, because the formercontains more or less of dissolved material extracted from the shale.The liquid in the chamber 11 also contains a more readily con; densedvapor passed from the retort, and therefore has a higher specificgravity and higher boiling point than the vapors and the liquidscondensed therefrom which are driven off through the pipe 16.

The process and apparatus has been successfully worked in the treatmentof Mon-' terey shale mined in California. Also, it has been successfullused in treating shales mined near Elko, tain large amounts. of oil andwax which can be extracted by solvents. I The invention has also been.successfully used with shale taken from the Uintah Basin of Colorado andUtah, and also has successfully been used with oil soaked sand.

The process and apparatus has produced remarkable results by using thesteps of op eration and the details hereinbefore specified. Thesefeatures include the use of-materials extracted by distillation as thematerial of a solvent bath for treating shale. Other arrangementscapable of performing the steps specified for the process may be ered aswithin the scope of the process of this invention. For instance, thetreatment chamber could extend downward from the right of the furnace soas to lower the chamber and in this case the upper end of thetreatmentchamber would have the same relevada, which latter conpossible,but such arrangements are considbe nearer the ground and consequentlythe the lower end of the treatment chamber to-- reservoir 13 would bemore readily reached. Th1s arrangement might serve also to extend wardthe source of shale supply thereby'reducing the amount of conveyorapparatuswhich resin is removed from the shale by the -the-aer if0r1'nT-.material produced, and an opening ior f-the. discharge ofextractedcil ..material, mean's. for removing shale from necessary. Theapparatus arrangement illustrated with the treatment chamber above theretort serves to economize floor space'although the upper end of thereservoir 13 maynot be as easily reached as if the treatment chamber wasinclined downwardly toward theground and positioned at one side of thefurnace.

The term hydrocarbon .oil material is un-- derstood' to include allmaterial removable from the shale by the process described and claimed.It is known that dertain shale, such as the shale at Casmalia,California, contains considerable amounts of resin,

process of this invention, along with the. oil technically known aspetroleum oil. The

oil and resin may be separated by known refining steps. It is also knownto me that the oil found near beds of shale, which beds containsuchresin, also contains 'in solution, amounts of resin and allied oxidizedbodies such as tar and wax, and that this material may be recovered andseparated byetreating the oil as it is obtained fromthe ground. Thepresence of such materials in solution in oil-in nature indicates thecorrectness of the theory of the present invention, which provides forthe solvent extraction of the shale by the solvent obtained from theshale.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshales which apparatus comprises retort means for distilling shale, atreatment chamber capable of holding a bath of oil and having an openingfor the introduction of'fre sh: shale, a shale discharge opening for thedischarge of treated shale, a discharge opening for saidchamberandpassing it to said shale discharge opening, and a pipedirectly con-- necting said chamber and said retortfor vconductindirectly into said chamber material distilled from shale in s'aidretort.1 2. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oilbear-ingshales whicli' apparatus" comprises retort means for dis.-

jam

. gtsh lle,a m ment hamber c pa v ath *OfJ'O" {shaving an 0P? ..:t 1tr dfi i a hsh e' a shaledischarge*opening forftlie' 'dischar e. oftreatedfshale-to the said .retort; ].a "d1scharge opening for theaeriiorm. material produced, and an opening .for the discharge ofextracted oil materiahmeans for removingshale from said chamber andpassingv and a it to said shale discharge opening connecting saidchamber and pipe .directl said retort or conducting directly into saidouter surface in contact with the atmosphere and capable. of holding abath of oil and having an opening 'for the' introduction of fresh shale,a shale dischargec-opening for .the discharge of treated shale to thesaid retort, a discharge opening for the aeriform material produced,andan-opening for the discharge of extracted oil material, means .86

for removing shale from said chamber and passing it to saidshaleidischarge opening, and a pipe directly connecting said chamber andsaid retort for conducting directly into said chamber material distilledfrom' shale in said retort.

4. Apparatus forextracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil. bearingshales which apparatus comprises retortmeansfor dis-' tilling shale, atreatment chamber. capable of holding a bath of oil and having an open-'ing for the introduction of fresh shale, a shale dischar e opening forthe discharge of treated shad directly above areceiving opening in saidretort, a discharge opening for the aeriform material produced, and anopening for the discharge of extracted il material, means for removingshale from said 'chamber'and passing it to said I shale dischargeopening,

and a pipe directly connecting said chamber e to the said retortpositioned and said retort for conducting directly into in said retortand in aeriform condition.

said chamber material distilled from shale 5. Apparatus forextractinghydrocarbon oil materialfrom oil bearing shale which apparatuscomprises a furnace, a treatment chamber on the outside of said furnaceca-' pable of holding a bath of oil and having an opening for theintroduction of :fresh shale, an opening for the dischar e' of;treated-shale, an opening for the disc arge of aeriform material, .andan opening for the discharge of, extracted oil material .located higherthan said opening for the introduction of fresh shale, means forremovwithin said furnace for distilling shale, and communicating meansfor directly conducting. into said treatment chamber material distilledfrom shale in said retort. 6..Apparatus for extracting h drocarbon oi1material from oil bearing s ale, which" ing shale .from said chamber,retort means i shale, an opening for the discharge of treated shale, anopening for the discharge of aeriform material, and an opening for thedischarge of extracted oil material,

' means for removing shale from said chamber, retort means fordistilling shale, and communicating means for conducting into saidtreatment chamber material extracted from shale in said retort and inaeriform condition, said chamber having a condensing surface in theinterior thereof for condensing and returning to'said bath aeri formmaterial so introduced into said chamber.

7. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises, a treatment chamber capable of holdinga bath of oil and having an opening for the introduction of fresh shale,an opening for (the discharge of treated shale, an opening for thedischarge of aeriform material, and an opening for the discharge ofextracted oil material, 0011 veyor means within said chamber andco-operatrng with the lower ,inner surface thereof for removing shaleand solid material from said chamber, retort means for distilling suchshale and solid material, and communicat ng means for conductingdirectly into said treatment chamber material distilled from shaleinsaid retort.

8. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a treatment chamber capable of holding abath of oil and having an opening for the introduction of fresh shale,an opening for the discharge of treated shale, and an opening for thedischarge of extracted oil material. screw conveyor means adjacent thefloor of said cham her and extending at least from a point adjacent theopening for the introduction of shale to said opening for the dischargeof treated shale for removing shale from said chamber, retort means fordistilling shale, and communicating means for conducting directly intosaid treatment chamber material distilled from shale in Said retort.

, 10. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a treatment chamber capable of holding abath of oil and having an opening adjacent one end thereof and spacedfrom the bottom for the introduction of fresh shale, an opening for thedischarge of treated shale located at the opposite end'of said chamberand substantially at the floor thereof, and an opening for the dischargeof extracted oil material, screw conveyor means adjacent the floor ofsaid chamber and extending at least from a point adjacent the openingfor the introduction of shale to said opening for the discharge oftreated shale for removing shale from said chamber, a screw conveyorretort for distilling shale in communication with said chamber, and aconnecting pipeextendingdirectly between said retort and said opening insaid chamber for the discharge of shale,said connecting pipeconstituting means for conducting volatile products from said retortdirectly into said treatment chamber.

11. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a retort, a treatment chamber capable ofholding a bath of oil positioned above said retort, said chamher havingan opening for the introduction of. fresh shale, an opening for thedischarge of extracted material, a discharge passageway for treatedshale extending from a point in said chamber relatively higher than saidopening for the discharge of extracted material. downwardly to saidretort, said passageway constituting means for conducting volatileproducts from said retort directly into said treatment chamber.

12. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a screw conveyor retort, a. treatmentchamber capable of holding a bath of oil positioned above said retortand having the floor thereof tilted, said chamber having an, opening inthe upper side thereof for the introduction of shale. a comn' unicatingpassageway between said chamber and said retort extending from anopening in the upper end of said tilted chamber fioor downwardly intothe top of said retort, and conveyor means within 'said chamber formoving shale and solid material from the lower side of said tilted floorand discharging the same into said passageway and into said retort, saidpassagewayconstituting means for conducting volatile products from saidretort directly into said treatment chamber.

13. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a horizontally ositioned screw conveyorretort, an inclined tubular treatment chamber positioned above saidretort and capable of holding a bath of oil in the lower end thereof, anupwardly extending supply pipe mounted on the upper side 'of saidchamberadjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extending from thefioor of said chamber ad acent the upper end-thereof and communicating.

means for conducting volatile products a from said retort directly intosaid treatment chamber.

14.' Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oil material from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a horizontally positioned screw conveyorretort, a furnace enclosing said retort, an inclined tubulartreatmentchamberpositioned above said furnace and said retort andcapable'of holding a bath of oil in the lower end thereof, an upwardlyextending supply pipe mounted on the upper side of said chamber adjacentthe lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extending from the floor'ofsaid chamber adj acent-the upper end thereof and communicating with oneend of saidretort, and screw conveyor means within said chamberextending substantially the length thereof and adjacent the floorthereof .for moving shale from the lower end of said chamber to saidcommunicating pipe, the uppermost end of said communicating pipe at thefloor of said chamber being higher than the lower. end of the saidsupply pipe.

15. Apparatus for; extracting, hydrocarbon o.il material from oil.bearing shale which apparatus comprises a horizontally positioned screwconveyor retort, an inclined tubular treatment chamber positioned abovesaid retort and capable of holding a bath of oil in the lower endthereof, an upwardly extending supply pipe mounted on the upper side ofsaid chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipeextending from the floornf said chamber adjacent the upper end thereofand communicating with one end o-f'said retort, a pipe extending fromsaid chamber for the. removal of aerifdrm material, and screw conveyormeans within said chamber extending substantially the length thereof andadjacent the floorthereof for moving shale from the lower. end of saidchamber tosaid communicating pipe, the uppermost end ofsaidcommunicating'pip'e at the floor of said-chamber being higher than thelower end of the said supply pipe, said'communicating pipe constitutingmeans for conducting. volatile products from said retort directly intosaid treatment chamber.

16. Apparatus for extracting hydrocarbon oilmaterial from oil bearingshale which from the floor of said chamber adjacent the upper endthereof and communicating with one end of saidretort, a pipe for theremoval of liquid oil connected with saidv chamber,and screw conveyormeans within said chamber extending substantially the length thereof andadjacent the floor thereof for moving shale from the lower end of saidchamber to said communicating pipe, the uppermost end of saidcommunicating pipe at the floor of said chamber being higher than thelower end of said supply pipe, said communicating'pipe constitutingmeans forconducting volatile products from said retort directly intosaid treatment chamber.

17. Apparatus for extraotinghydrocarbon oil material. from oil bearingshale which apparatus comprises a horizontally positioned screw conveyorretort, -an in-v clined tubular treatment chamber positioned above saidretort and capable of holding a bath of oil in thelower end thereof, anup. wardlyextending supply pipe mounted on the upper side of saidchamber adjacent the lower end thereof, a communicating pipe extendingfrom thefioor of said chamber adjacent the upper end thereof and communicating with one end of said retort, a pipe eX- tending from said chamberfor the removal of aeriform material and projecting upwardly andconstituting-a run-back pipe, a

pipe for the removal of liquid oil connected with said chamber, andscrew conveyor.

means within said chamber extending substantially the length. thereofandv adjacent the floor thereof for moving shale from the lower end ofsaid chamber to said communicating pipe,.the uppermost end of saidcomm'unicating'pipe at the floor of said chamber being higher than thelowerend of said supply pipe, said communicating pipe constituting meansfor conducting volatile products from said retort directl .into' saidtreatment chamber.

In testimony whereof .I aflix-my signature.

, DAVID .T. DA'Y..."

-' 'Witne'sses': 1

.LILY. S. GERRY,

f ANNE B. CovUs; V

